Cantu Shea Butter Flat Iron Spray: I Tried It!

As someone who religiously flat irons my hair every day, I've often wondered what kind of damage the 300-plus-degree temperatures were doing to my locks.

So when a bottle of Cantu's Shea Butter Flat Iron Spray landed on my desk, I curiously read the label to see if it might just be the solution to protecting my heat-sucking strands.

I was intrigued by its claim to "condition and add shine while heat styling hair." It also vowed to protect, moisturize and add control for all hairstyles. Those were some lofty promises, but could this little orange bottle deliver?

From the moment I began spraying it on my freshly washed and dried mane, I wasn't too convinced.

I was expecting a fresh, clean smell to permeate the air when I sprayed the snowflake-like droplets onto my hair. Isn't that what you're supposed to get with shea butter? Instead, I got more of a chemical smell.

OK, the odor I can get over, I think, if it makes my hair look supergood.

But I was wrong.

My strands immediately became stiff, like I had just doused them with a strong-holding hairspray. And they remained that way while I proceeded with the flatiron, despite trying to brush them into softness as I went along.

When I was done, I had hair that felt dry and brittle, not moisturized and shiny like the bottle pledged. I wished I had time for another shower to rewash my locks, which now felt anything but squeaky-clean and soft.

Given the fact that women spend an average of $50,000 during their lifetime on their hair, I have to wonder how much of that is spent on beauty products that fall short on expectations.

If you have dry or damaged locks from your flatiron, you might want to try these remedies.